“1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream
and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and]
told the sum of the matters. 2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision
by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the
great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one
from another. 4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I
beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from
the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was
given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and
it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of
it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour
much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which
had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four
heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night
visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong
exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in
pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was]
diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another
little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up
by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of
man, and a mouth speaking great things.”
“9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days
did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head
like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his
wheels [as] burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from
before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand
times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books
were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words
which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his
body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the
rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives
were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions,
and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven,
and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all
people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that]
which shall not be destroyed.”
“15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and
the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near unto one of them that
stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made
me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which
are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth. 18 But
the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the
kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 19 Then I would know the truth
of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding
dreadful, whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which]
devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20 And
of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came
up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a
mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his
fellows. 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and
prevailed against them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment
was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the
saints possessed the kingdom. 23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be
the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms,
and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it
in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings
[that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be
diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall
speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints
of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be
given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to
consume and to destroy [it] unto the end. 27 And the kingdom and
dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall
be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom
[is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto [is] the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations
much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the
matter in my heart.” (Daniel 7:1-28 AV)
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